Chris Masse presents the 4th Annual Sun-Gazette coverage area Top 50: #s 10-1

Tagged under: District 4, News, Recruiting

Billy Splain | August 21, 2018

Treyson Potts has bulked up and is ready to lead the state for Williamsport

Chris Masse’s 4th Annual Sun-Gazette coverage area Top 50, broken up in segments of ten. Today we present numbers 10-1:

No. 10: Kyle Tomb, Jersey Shore: Area’s returning leading rusher had tremendous season & was true workhorse who never tired in Shore’s rapid-fire no-huddle offense. Finished 2nd in area with 1,662 yards & 16 touchdowns. A tough runner who is excellent at gaining tough yards.

Tomb became a starter late in sophomore season and has run for more than 2,000 yards since then while helping Jersey Shore win D4 AAAA title and 16 games. Gets stronger as games go on and topped 100 yards in 11 games last year. 233 yards and 2 TDs vs Lewisburg

Tomb is also a very good linebacker who had three sacks and an interception. One of the most valuable players on one of the area’s best teams last year. First team Sun-Gazette all-star a season ago and poised for big things again.

No. 9 David Tomb, Jersey Shore: Talk about a tremendous twin brother duo. The Tomb brothers start off top 10 & David earns No. 9 after being an all-state defensive lineman last season. He plays so big for 190 pounds & is fantastic nose tackle who helps ignite stingy defense

Tomb helped Jersey Shore have 1 of D4’s best defenses, averaging 8.7 tackles per game & finishing with 96, fantastic numbers fo a d-lineman. Tomb ignited a nasty run defense and topped 10 tackles 4 times while having 17 tackles for loss and 5 sacks.

Tomb is also an outstanding offensive lineman who helped Jersey Shore have 1 of area’s top offenses last year with a 1500 yard passer and 1600 yard rusher. An extremely valuable 2-way s

tarter for a consistent winning program.

No. 8 Gerald Ross, Loyalsock: A dynamic athlete who earned all-state honors in football & basketball last scholastic season, Ross had 1 of best receiving seasons in Loyalsock history, catching 58 passes for 1,038 yards and program-record 14 touchdowns. Fast, tall and athletic

Ross did not play football as a freshman but has wasted no time making an impact. The 6-3 senior was a force at times, scoring in 9 of Loyalsock’s games, including producing two 3-touchdown games and scoring in both d4 playoff games.

Ross’s 14 touchdowns were the third highest by an area receiver in the 2000s and he was Sock’s first 1000-yard receiver since 2007. Has made enormous strides last 2 seasons and all-stater in 2nd year of high school football. Also Sun Gazette Basketball Player of Year last winter

No. 7 Hunter O’Connor, Jersey Shore: A super all-around player, O’Connor has been one of the area’s top linebackers and offensive linemen over the past 2 seasons. Has topped 100 tackles each time, 2nd in area in tackles last year, part of strong o-line for 7-win team.

O’Connor is a likely all-state candidate after making 146 tackles & averaging 13.3 per game.Had 265 tackles last 2 year. topped 10 tackles in each of last 8 games and had 19 agaisnt HAC-I champ Shikellamy.

O’Connor seemed to live in backfield, making area-high 27 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He also had 40 quarterback hurries. An excellent o-lineman 2 and has helped pave way for high-scoring offense the last 2 seasons.

No. 6 Marcus Simmons, Williamsport: Still wondering how Simmons didn’t get all-state because he had the best receiving season in Williamsport history; stepped up in huge way for team that had been hit hard by graduation and injury. Led D4 in catches, yards in regular season.

Simmons caught program-record 71 passes for 934 yards & 11 touchdowns. broke previous program record by 9 catches & won the area triple crown during regular season, leading in catches, yards and TDs. consistent and explosive, Simmons caught at least 5 passes in every game

Simmons is a clutch player who scored in 9 of 11 games and had 8 catches, 155 yards and 2 TDs vs D2 champ Delaware Valley. Can turn short catches into big plays and is excellent in space and has good hands. Big part of an explosive offense

No. 5 Bam Brima, Loyalsock: It’s pretty remarkable what Brima did last season despite having no preseason and literally arriving the same day as the season opener. He became one of the state’s premier defensive ends by season’s end and will play at Pittsburgh next fall.

Brima is a 6′-7″ force off the edge who also is a student of the game and made enormous strides throughout last season. Looked unblockable at times down the stretch. Brima averaged 7 tackles per game over last 7 weeks and 10.7 per game in postseason. He’s a quarterback’s nightmare

Brima is an explosive and smart player who is only getting better and had 15 tackles in D4 AAA semifinals against Lewisburg. He had 10 tackles for loss and repeatedly knocked down passes or hurried quarterbacks. A dominant in finale against Montoursville.

Now that Brima has had a full offseason and will have a preseason with Loyalsock, look out. He’s got definite all-state potential and will be a defensive leader for Lancers.

No. 4 Joe Fagnano, Williamsport: A note here. This list is best overall players. not by position.. point being I think Fagnano & another QB yet to be ranked are best in area and 2 of best in state. Call it a draw. The other guy is higher because of his defensive impact in 2017

Fagnano is a brilliant QB who had 1 of best seasons in program history in 1st year starting. He threw for 2,460 yards & program-record 30 TDs in 11 games. Smart, good arm, poised & works field so well. Had only 4 INTS in 325 attempts. Led Port back from 3 double-digit deficits

Fagnano led the area in TD passes during regular season and led area in completion percentage at 65.4. His ability to shine helped Port overcome injury to all-state running back. Receiving D1 interest. Has offers from Robert Morris and Bucknell

Fagnano earned all-state honors, topped 200 yards 7 times and also ran for 411 yards and 7 TDs. He’s outstanding at keeping plays alive and making good passes on the run or finding secondary receivers. Fun to watch

No. 3 Connor Watkins, Loyalsock: Villanova-bound QB earned all-state honors last season, throwing for program records of 2,561 yards and 30 TDs, also ran for 481 yards and 10 TDs and consistently played well in big situations as Sock won first D4 title since 2009.

Watkins has the whole package: big arm, good build, good poise, smart and sees field extremely well. Four year starter who has made immense strides each season. Three-sport athlete with a great drive and who was fantastic last postseason

Watkins is already among the area’s all-time leaders in yards and TDs with 5,235 yards and 59 touchdowns. Topped 200 yards six times last season and threw at least 1 TD in every game. Watkins also was tremendous at safety in postseason, solidifying the defense.

Watkins unloaded his entire arsenal in D4 semifinals, throwing for 276 yards and 3 TDs, leading Sock back from 17-point halftime deficit to 35-24 win, making big plays in secondary and returning a punt for a touchdown. Has been part of three D4 champs in three different sports

No. 2 Dylan Farronato, Lewisburg: An excellent case can be made for Farronato earning the top spot. All one needs to know is that he was all-state as both a safety and athlete to show how good he is…oh yeah, he also is the area’s active career receiving leader.

Farronato is a 4-year starter who literally does just about everything. He’s an excellent receiver, safety, special teams weapon and punter. Even ran the ball well last season. One of the most versatile players area has seen this decade.

Farronato returned 3 INTS for touchdowns in the last 2 seasons; also has 95 passes in his scholastic career. Missed 2 1/2 games last season but still had 647 yards & 7 TDs last season. 40 catches from becoming area’s all-time leader in catches, also ran for 242 yards & 5 TDs

Farronato is also an excellent punter and averaged 34.2 yards per punt last season, placing 6 inside 20-yard line. receiving a lot of collegiate interest, including from Division I Davidson.

1. Treyson Potts, Williamsport: This is a testament to how special a football player Potts is because he did not play last season due to tearing his ACL. I think I speak for all of D4 when I say we can’t wait to see him play again. definitely 1 of best players in the state.

Potts ran for 2,911 yards and 45 touchdowns as a freshman and sophomore and was absolutely vital to this program’s dramatic turnaround and resurgence. An all-state as a sophomore when he ran for 2,034 yards and 34 TDs. Also caught 18 passes for 266 yards and 2 TDs

Potts is an excellent d-back & has shined on special teams when used there in past. Has scored touchdowns 4 different ways in 2 years. Averaged 10.8 yards a carry as sophomore when he helped Williamsport go 12-2, win first D2-4 title since 1995 & reach 6A state quarters

Potts is the best Williamsport running back since Darrell Blackman and 1 of best I have seen in my 19 seasons here. Such explosion and agility, great vision, smart and tough runner. Has added a lot of muscle and could be phenomenal this season.

Potts also has human joystick type moves. He just has the whole package and can be lethal as a receiver. Received more than 20 scholarships before committing to Minnesota. Part of a dynamic offense and terrific student-athlete.